Vermont news

• Injured doctor’s flight home proves costly for UVMMC

  19-12-2017 23:15 via vtdigger.org
  The company that flew an injured UVM Medical Center doctor home from the Dominican Republic uses modified Learjet 35 aircraft. Wikipedia photoThe University of Vermont Medical Center paid more than $250,000 for a hospital doctor to be flown home by air ambulance from the Dominican Republic earlier this year, according to sources.A Florida-based medevac service sent the hospital an invoice for $536,000 for transporting the doctor, who was injured while on vacation, from the Caribbean country back
  
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• Help us get to the finish line. $15K match challenge! Donate now to double your gift.

  19-12-2017 22:45 via vtdigger.org
  Dear Readers,
  We have $122,382 to go, and we need your help to get to the finish line by Dec. 31.
  The next $15,000 in gifts will be matched
  Two donors, The Sustainable Future Fund of the Vermont Community Foundation and the Gay and Lesbian Fund of Vermont believe strongly in our mission to bring you the best investigative reporting in Vermont.
  They support us because they know that reliable reporting leads to better government, stronger policy and more equitable communities for Vermont. Because
  
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• City settles with tenant claiming eviction for calling police too often

  19-12-2017 22:41 via vtdigger.org
  The house at 184 Church St., Burlington. File photo by Morgan True/VTDiggerBURLINGTON — The city will pay $30,000 and revise ordinances as part of a settlement in a case brought by a city resident who said he was evicted from his Church Street apartment for calling police too frequently.
  Joseph Montagno sued Burlington in 2016 alleging that the city violated his rights by tracking his 911 calls and encouraging his landlord to evict him if calls from Montagno and his fellow tenants did not
  
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• Fire Safety During Vermont Winters dlvr.it/Q6lHv0 https://t.co/Q2zv2peSjn

  19-12-2017 21:58 via twitter.com
  
  Fire Safety During Vermont Winters dlvr.it/Q6lHv0 https://t.co/Q2zv2peSjn
  
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• Suspect in fatal hit-and-run sees charge upgraded to felony

  19-12-2017 20:23 via vtdigger.org
  RUTLAND — About 30 friends and family of a well-known Tinmouth farmer turned out Monday to watch the man who is accused of killing him in a hit-and-run crash face arraignment on an upgraded charge.Thomas H. Velde Jr., 42, of Middletown Springs, pleaded not guilty in Rutland Superior Court to a felony charge of careless or negligent operation of a motor vehicle with death resulting.Leo Branchaud, 57, was struck and killed April 22, 2016, as he walked near his home.
  Velde had been arraigned
  
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• NG Advantage supports community partnerships in NY, NH and VT

  19-12-2017 20:18 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — NG AdvantageDecember 13, 2017
  Media contact:Morgan Hook, 301-801-6949, [email protected]
  Nonperishable Food Items, Gifts Delivered To Charitable Organizations And Families
  COLCHESTER, VT – NG Advantage LLC, which is majority-owned by Clean Energy Fuels (NASDAQ:CLNE), continued its longstanding tradition of supporting charitable organizations by delivering nonperishable food items and gifts to local community groups.
  This week NG Advantage delivered multiple donations
  
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• Vermont secretary of state issues statement decrying decision by the FCC overturning net neutrality rules

  19-12-2017 20:12 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Secretary of State Jim CondosDecember 15, 2017
  Contact:Eric Covey802-828-2148
  Montpelier, VT – Following yesterday’s decision by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) gutting the 2015 Open Internet Order, which prohibits content restrictions, website fees and the creation of internet ‘fast’ and ‘slow’ lanes by internet providers, Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos released a statement condemning the decision, calling it a devastat
  
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• LISTEN: What Happens When Public Records Requests Become A Fight? dlvr.it/Q6kYxx https://t.co/0F1yqzkWoe

  19-12-2017 20:12 via twitter.com
  
  LISTEN: What Happens When Public Records Requests Become A Fight? dlvr.it/Q6kYxx https://t.co/0F1yqzkWoe
  
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• Northeast Kingdom Fund announces $63,000 in grants

  19-12-2017 20:00 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Vermont Community FoundationDecember 18, 2017
  Contact:Chelsea Bardot LewisThe Vermont Community Foundation
  [email protected] ext. 295
  The Northeast Kingdom Fund at the Vermont Community Foundation made $63,668 in grants to 21 organizations in Orleans, Essex, and Caledonia Counties this year. The Fund was established in 2011 by the Community Foundation and local partners as a permanent philanthropic resource to support the people and communities in the region.
  
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• Energy Co-op of Vermont’s efficiency program manager earns certification

  19-12-2017 19:56 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Energy Co-op of VermontDec. 18, 2017
  Contact:Paul Fleckenstein802-860-4090
  [email protected]
  December 18, 2017….Colchester, VT……Paul Fleckenstein, Energy Co-op of Vermont’s Efficiency Program Manager, has been awarded Healthy Homes Evaluator (HHE) certification from the Building Performance Institute.
  A Healthy Home Evaluator assesses home-based environmental health and safety hazards and provides a prioritized list of recommendations to address those
  
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• Bob Reese joins Windham Foundation Board of Trustees

  19-12-2017 19:52 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Windham FoundationDecember 18, 2017
  Contact:Liz Bankowski, [email protected] 802-843-2216
  (Grafton, Vt.) – The Board of the Grafton, Vermont-based Windham Foundation announced today that former Vermont Creamery CEO Bob Reese has been elected as a member of its Board of Trustees.

Reese founded Vermont Creamery with Allison Hooper in 1984, where they led the company until 2017, when the company was acquired by Land O’Lakes, Inc.
  &ldq
  
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• Burlington will put dispatch consolidation to town meeting vote

  19-12-2017 19:49 via vtdigger.org
  Burlington Police Chief Brandon del Pozo. File photo by Morgan True/VTDiggerBURLINGTON — City voters will get to weigh in on whether Burlington and other Chittenden County municipalities should create a regional emergency dispatch center. Residents also will be asked whether the city should encourage lawmakers to raise the minimum age to buy and smoke tobacco.The City Council approved the Town Meeting Day ballot items during its meeting Monday night. The plan to combine all Chittenden Coun
  
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• Up to $60,000 available through the Local Food Market Development Grant program

  19-12-2017 19:45 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & MarketsDec. 18, 2017
  Contact:Alissa MatthewsAgriculture Development CoordinatorVermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, & Markets(802) 505-1661
  [email protected]
  Montpelier, VT / December 18, 2017 – The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM) is pleased to announce the availability of up to $60,000 of funding for Local Food Market Development (LFMD) Grants to assist eligible Vermont farmers, business
  
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• Southwestern Vermont Health Care’s Jingle Bell raises $130,000

  19-12-2017 17:52 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Southwestern Vermont Health CareDec. 18, 2018
  Contact:Ashley Brenon JowettCommunications & Marketing SpecialistPhone: 802.447.5019Fax: 802.447.5214
  [email protected]
  svhealthcare.org
  BENNINGTON, VT—December 18, 2017—The 4th Annual Jingle Bell on December 2 at the Hermitage Club in Wilmington, VT, hosted a sold-out crowd of more than 200 people and raised $130,000 for Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC).
  “The success of this event is tha
  
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• ENRLC, neighbors see win in Graniteville pollution case

  19-12-2017 17:46 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Vermont Law SchoolDec. 18, 2017
  Contact:Maryellen Apelquist, Director of Communications, Vermont Law Schooloffice: 802-831-1228, cell: 802-299-5593, [email protected]
  SOUTH ROYALTON, Vt., Dec. 18, 2017––This month Neighbors for Healthy Communities (Neighbors), with the support of the Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic (ENRLC) at Vermont Law School, achieved their latest victory in a six-year battle against polluting industry in Graniteville, V
  
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• Vermont Works welcomes new partner

  19-12-2017 17:40 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Vermont WorksDecember 17, 2017
  Contact:Maggie Lenz, 802-279-4262
  Kevin Ellis, 802-371-8112
  Skip Wyer Brings Expertise in Private Equity Investment in Agriculture, Agtech
  BURLINGTON, Vt. – Vermont Works Management Company, LLC announced today it is welcoming Skip Wyer, a private equity investment specialist, as a partner in the independent alternative investment firm.
  “Skip’s interest and expertise lies in both private equity investment in agriculture and ag
  
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• Vermont alert notification system upgrade

  19-12-2017 16:46 via vtdigger.org
  Vermont Department of Public SafetyVermont Emergency ManagementDecember 18, 20178:00 a.m.
  Contact:Mark Bosma, VEM, 802-839-6717Existing users need to re-register
  WATERBURY, VT – Vermont Alert (www.VTAlert.gov) has gone through a significant upgrade to further improve its capabilities for Vermonters. The state’s notification system for emergencies, Amber Alerts, weather, road conditions, and more has improved functionality, a new look, and a smartphone app.
  Vermont Emergency Managemen
  
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• Just how open are Vermont's public records? Today we'll delve into what it's like to access — and fight for — publi… twitter.com/i/web/status/9…

  19-12-2017 14:42 via twitter.com
  Just how open are Vermont's public records? Today we'll delve into what it's like to access — and fight for — publi… twitter.com/i/web/status/9…
  
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• City council pushes final Burlington Telecom vote to Dec. 27

  19-12-2017 08:40 via vtdigger.org
  Jane Knodell, Burlington city council president. Photo by Bob LoCicero/VTDiggerBURLINGTON — The final documents certifying the sale of Burlington Telecom to Schurz Communications will be approved during a special Burlington City Council meeting on Dec. 27.
  Councilors met in executive session before a scheduled meeting Monday to iron out details of the purchase and sales agreement between the city and Schurz Communications, which won the right to purchase Burlington Telecom after a long and
  
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• Scott: Vermont has too many schools for too few students

  19-12-2017 08:22 via vtdigger.org
  Gov. Phil Scott at a press conference. File photo by Mike Dougherty/VTDiggerGov. Phil Scott says the root cause of a steep rise in property taxes is an economic crisis in Vermont’s rural communities.The state must take urgent action to right size a system that has too many schools, too many teachers and too few students, Scott told a group of 330 lawmakers and educators Monday at a daylong summit at Norwich University.
  “We face an urgent need to transform our education system into th
  
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• Leahy: Vermont is crucial step closer to improved air and rail travel with Canada

  19-12-2017 05:18 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Sen. Patrick LeahyDec. 14, 2017
  Press Contact:David Carle(202) 224-3693
  (THURSDAY, Dec. 14, 2017) — Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) hails action this week by the Canadian Parliament to pass new customs preclearance language into law that will make possible improved rail and air travel between Vermont – and other points in the United States — and Canada.
  The Canadian Senate passed the legislation, known as C-23, last week, and the bill took its last step in th
  
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• VYCC and partners receive top U.S. Forest Service award for creating a culture of inclusion

  19-12-2017 05:08 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — VYCCDec. 7, 2017
  Contact:Llu Mulvaney-Stanak, VYCC Marketing & Communications Director802-434-3969 ext. 100
  [email protected]
  VYCC’s American Sign Language (ASL) Youth Crew Recognized as a National Model
  WASHINGTON, D.C, December 7, 2018 – Vermont Youth Conservation Corps (VYCC) was honored, alongside partners from the Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests (GMFL) and the Lexington School for the Deaf, in receiving the U.S. Forest Service Chief’s N
  
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• Vermont Federal Credit Union donates $1,500 to 4th annual Christmas tree sale to benefit All Breed Rescue

  19-12-2017 05:04 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Vermont Federal Credit UnionDec. 13, 2017
  Contact:Kylie J. PerryMarketing StrategistVermont Federal Credit Union(802) 923-1322, (888) 252-0202 Ext. 1322
  [email protected]
  Burlington, VT – On December 2nd and 3rd, 2017 over $20,000 was raised for All Breed Rescue through the 4th Annual Christmas Tree Sale. This is an increase of 8,000 from last year’s event.
  Funds were raised by families purchasing their trees for a minimum donation of $35 per tree, as wel
  
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• Driscoll’s campaign launch speech

  19-12-2017 04:59 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — ‘Carina​ ​for​ ​Mayor’​ ​Campaign​ ​Launch​ ​SpeechDec. 14, 2017
  Press Contact:Elise Greaves802-917-2302
  Carina​ ​DriscollCarina​ ​for​ ​Mayor’​ ​Campaign​ ​Launch​ ​SpeechDecember 14, 2017, Main Street Landing
  Thank you, Jovial for that introduction. And thank you everyone for coming out on this chilly, evening to be here.
  Ton
  
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• Rights & Democracy calls on Scott to extend ACA enrollment

  19-12-2017 04:47 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Rights & DemocracyDec. 14, 2017
  Media Contact:Shay Totten
  [email protected](802) 324-3198
  BURLINGTON – In a letter to Gov. Phil Scott and Agency of Human Services Secretary Al Gobeille, Rights & Democracy is calling for Vermont to extend the ACA enrollment period beyond Friday’s deadline.
  Of the 12 state-based exchanges, Vermont and Idaho are the only two in the United States that has not extended the deadline.
  Below is a copy of the letter sent to this afte
  
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• Vermont Electric Co-op earns prestigious health and safety certification

  19-12-2017 04:39 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Vermont Electric Co-opDec. 14, 2017
  Contact:Jake Brown, 802-730-0414; [email protected]
  Johnson, VT – Vermont Electric Cooperative (VEC) has earned high-level health and safety recognition from the Vermont Department of Labor after a rigorous review of company operations and management.
  The certification comes through the Green Mountain Voluntary Protection Program, which is administered by the Vermont Occupational Safety and Health Administration (VOSHA). Th
  
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• Anthony Pollina’s statement in support of a higher minimum wage

  19-12-2017 04:34 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Vermont Progressive PartyDecember 13, 2017
  Contact:Anthony PollinaState Senate, Washington CountyChair, Vermont Progressive Party(802) 272-3765
  [email protected]
  Montpelier, VT – Vermont State Senator and Progressive Party Chair, Anthony Pollina, issued the following statement in support of a $15 minimum wage on Wednesday.
  “When considering the proposed $15 an hour minimum wage we should all ask ourselves the most important question: What is it like to live on
  
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• Vermont Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports recognizes 27 exemplar schools

  19-12-2017 04:28 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Vermont Positive Behavioral Interventions and SupportsDec. 14, 2017
  Contact:Sherry Schoenberg | Vermont BEST/PBIS CoordinatorCollege of Education & Social Services, UVMCenter on Disability and Community Inclusion307 Mann Hall, 208 Colchester Avenue, Burlington VT 05405V 802.656.9656 | F 802.656.1357
  www.pbisvermont.org
  Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a school-wide, systems approach to improving social and academic competence for all students. Sch
  
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• Burlington mayor announces winners of first Mayor’s Prize to Support Entrepreneurship

  19-12-2017 04:21 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Office of Mayor Miro WeinbergerDecember 14, 2017
  Contact:Gillian Nanton, CEDO, 802-865-7179
  Diana Colangelo, CEDO, 617-447-7905
  Katie Vane, Mayor’s Office, 802-734-0617
  In Partnership with Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, City Awards $200,000 in First Year of Two-Year Competition
  Burlington, VT – Mayor Weinberger today announced the winners of the first Mayor’s Prize for Entrepreneurship, launched in early October to increase support for entrepreneurs in t
  
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• Leahy: USDA economic development investments in Vermont this year now top $222 million

  19-12-2017 04:14 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Sen. Patrick LeahyDec. 14, 2017
  Press Contact:David Carle(202) 224-3693
  (THURSDAY, Dec. 14, 2017) — SenatorPatrick Leahy (D-Vt.) announced Thursday that U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) economic development investments in the Vermont now total more than $222 million during fiscal year 2017.Federal funds supported a broad range of activities in thirteen Vermont counties, including business development, housing construction and purchases, municipal investments in in
  
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• Private school leaders agree to widen special education access

  19-12-2017 03:07 via vtdigger.org
  Sen. Philip Baruth, D/P-Chittenden, is the chairman of a study committee that has been wrestling since May over rules for private schools seeking to receive public dollars. File photo by Anne Galloway/VTDiggerEnding a stalemate with public school interests, private school representatives have accepted the principle that special education students should be able to attend any school — private or public — just like their peers.Private schools had been deadlocked with public schools ove
  
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• Head of Rutland chamber faces DUI charges, despite test below 0.08

  19-12-2017 02:41 via vtdigger.org
  RUTLAND — The executive director of the Rutland Region Chamber of Commerce is facing DUI charges even though tests showed her blood alcohol level was below the legal limit for driving, newly released court records show.
  Prosecutors are pressing their case against Mary S. Cohen on two fronts: that a chemist can show her blood alcohol content was above that 0.08 percent legal limit when she was pulled over more than an hour before her test; and that, even if below that number, she was still
  
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• Turbulence in the air: Accusations fly in probe of ex-state aviation chief

  19-12-2017 02:26 via vtdigger.org
  Guy Rouelle. File photo by Anne Galloway/VTDiggerClaims of defamation, bribery and political payback are coming to light following news of a probe into the former director of the state aviation program for allegedly playing fast and loose with taxpayer money.
  Guy Rouelle is firing back at state officials who are making accusations against him, saying he is perplexed by what he describes as an attempt to discredit him six months after he resigned from the Vermont Agency of Transportation.
  Also en
  
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• Northeast border detentions up in 2017

  19-12-2017 01:58 via vtdigger.org
  WASHINGTON — Newly released data show an increase in the number of people taken into custody by the U.S. Border Patrol in the region that includes Vermont, although the numbers for the country overall were down in fiscal 2017.
  Arrests and deportations by Immigration and Customs Enforcement increased in New England over previous years as well.
  Nationwide, the Border Patrol reported that fiscal 2017, which ended Sept. 30, saw the lowest number of detentions of people illegally crossing the b
  
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• Police seek masked, armed robber in Waitsfield bank heist

  19-12-2017 01:55 via vtdigger.org
  WAITSFIELD — Vermont State Police say a masked robber armed with a gun held-up a Waitsfield bank Monday afternoon.
  No one was injured in the robbery, police said.The robbery took place at 11:55 a.m. Monday at the TB Bank on Route 100 by a suspect dressed in dark clothing and wearing a mask and hood, according to police.
  The robber was armed with a firearm and demanded money from the bank tellers, police said. The suspect then fled on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash.The robber was l
  
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• Laura Sibilia: Rethinking Vermont’s education funding

  19-12-2017 01:05 via vtdigger.org
  Editor’s note: This commentary is by Rep. Laura Sibilia, an independent who represents the Windham-Bennington district in the Vermont House of Representatives.
  It’s the holiday season and, for many, a time of year filled with traditions among families and communities. In Vermont we also have a unique tradition that kicks off the month of December. Dec. 1 brings about the annual receipt of the Vermont tax commissioner’s statutorily required letter to the Legislature regarding an
  
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• Bob Walker: Governor, get serious about climate change

  19-12-2017 01:00 via vtdigger.org
  Editor’s note: This commentary is by Bob Walker, of Thetford Center, who is a community organizer and energy consultant.
  An Open Letter to Governor Phil Scott
  Dear Gov. Scott,
  It’s 3 a.m. and I should be sleeping, but all I can do is think about your comments that appeared in VTDigger from Thursday’s (Dec. 7) press conference, that you are “not sure that there’s a financial threat” to Vermont as a result of climate change.
  Have you not seen the climate project
  
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• Karl Meyer: Restoring childhood’s stolen legacy

  19-12-2017 00:55 via vtdigger.org
  Editor’s note: This commentary is by Karl Meyer, of Greenfield, Massachusetts, a writer and journalist who writes regularly about issues affecting the Connecticut River ecosystem.
  Enough.
  The time has come for our country to end the gun slaughter and return childhood to America’s children. It’s nearly 20 years since the Columbine High School bloodbath and we are now marking the five-year anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre.
  National legislation banning auto
  
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• GOP recommends Brock, two newcomers to Scott for Senate pick

  19-12-2017 00:18 via vtdigger.org
  Randy Brock. File photo by Erin Mansfield/VTDiggerFranklin County Republicans put forward three names for Gov. Phil Scott to consider in appointing someone to the Senate seat Dustin Degree vacated earlier this year.
  Randy Brock, a former holder of the seat, is one of those recommended. The other two are political neophytes with military backgrounds.
  Rep. Brian Savage, R-Swanton, said in a news release that the Franklin Senatorial District Committee, which he chairs, had forwarded the names. Degr
  
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